Leer feeder



Oct. 20, 1931. A. N. CRAMER LEER FEEDER Filed July 7, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 20, 1931. N CRAMER 1,827,738

LEER FEEDER Oct. 20, 1931. A. N. CRAMER LEER FEEDER Filed July 7, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 oooooooooooo@@ Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT N. CRAMER, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A SBIGN'OR TO OWENS-ILLINOIS GLASS COM- PANY, F TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO ana FEEDER Application filed July 7, 1928. Serial No. 290,981.

length of the leer conveyor, as shown for example in United States patent to Dayton, 1,148,474, July 27 1915. As shown in said patent, operation of the mechanism for so placing the ware depends in partupon contact between the bottles, or other articles, constitutingthe transverse rows, such contact serving to trip flights or bottle holders, which carry the bottles to predetermined positions upon the conveyor.

Contact between the bottles or rubbing of the bottles against each other, at any period of production, is highly objectionable. This is particularly true at the time the ware -is first placed in the leer, because the glass is then in a plastic state and the surface is easily scratched or otherwise marred: also the bottles are apt to stick together when brought in contact with each other. This interferes with or precludes the production of high grade ware.

An object of the present invention is to provide ineans whereby ware placed upon the leer conveyor will be uniformly spaced apart during its entire travel thru the leer and thereby prevent scratching or otherwise in.-

juring the surfaces of the articles by contact with each other.

Another object is to provide means whereby bottles, or the like, may be arranged in parallel rows extending transversely of the length of the leer, said rows being spaced a art lengthwise of the leer, and the bottles of each row spaced from one another, to prevent injury to their surfaces. To this end the invention comprises a series of pushers, or flights, each adapted to move a bottle, or jar, to a predetermined position within the: leer, said pusherbeing actuated at said position to release the bottle and continue its movementv to a station at which it picks up another bottle for delivery to the leer.

Other objects will be apparent hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the feeder ta en at the line 1-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially at the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2A is a detail sectional view of the swivel nut connection between the trip arm and screw shaft.

Fig. 2B is a sectional elevation of one end of another form of screw shaft.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the feeder.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of one of the flights or bottle pushers.

Fig. 5 is aside elevation of the flight shown in Fig. 4.

Fi 6 is a sectional view taken at the line .VI-gq of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of another form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation taken along the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing the trip mechanism at the opposite end of its travel from that shown in Fig. 7."

In the drawings the leer with which the present invention is associated, is illustrated as comprising a pair of vertical side walls 10 between which an endless leer conveyor 11 is arranged, said conveyor being adapted to carry bottles, or other ware in an upright position to the leer tunnel 12 for tempering. This conveyor may be moved thru the leer by any suitable mechanism (not shown).

The "side walls 10 of the leer are formed with opposed openin s 13 whereby as will be a are positioned out of contact with each other upon the leer conveyor. These pushers move continuously in a closed path, and during such movement each pusher engages a bottle and then follows the cycle of operations above outlined.

The feeder includes a pair of vertical standards 15 placed apart transversely of the feeding end of the leer in proximity to said opposed openings 13 in the said wall 10 0f the latter. Vertical bearings 16 (Fig. 1) are provided at the upper ends of the standards 15. Shafts 17 are journaled in these bearings and carry sprockets 18 which rest upon the upper ends of said bearings. An endless chain 19, or the like, is trained over the sprockets 18, said chain carrying the flights 55, or bottle pushers, previously referre to, and described in detail hereinafter.

One of the vertical shafts 17 extends below the corresponding bearing 16 and has driving connection to the shaft 20 forming a part of a speed reducing mechanism which includes a Worm gear 21 and worm 22, the latter mounted upon a motor shaft 23 which is driven by a variable speed motor 24. There is thus provided means for imparting continuous movement to the chain 19'whereby the bottle pushers 55 are moved over the leer conveyor 11 in a predetermined path and at a predetermined speed.

The bottle pushers, as will be described hereinafter, are adapted to move bottles B or other ware to predetermined positions upon the leer conveyor 11 and to be operated at such positions to release the bottles, such operation being effected by a suitable trip mechanism including a shaft 30 arranged between the reaches of the chain 19 and in parallel relation thereto. This shaft 30 has its ends journalled in horizontal bearings 31 (Fig. 1) which are supported upon the upper portions of the standards 15. Means to continuously rotate the shaft 30 includes a sprocket 32 fixed to one end of said shaft and connecting by a sprocket chain 33 to a sprocket 34 on one end of a shaft 35, the latter journalled in a bearing 36 on said standard. This shaft carries at one end a bevel gear 37 running in mesh with a bevel gear 38 which is pinned, or otherwise suitably connected to the shaft 17 which, as previously stated, imparts continuous movement to the chain 19. Thus, it is seen that a single motor functions as a driving means for both the bottle pushers 55 and the trip mechanism for the pushers. I."

The shaft 30 (Figs. 1 and 3) is formed with double spiral threads 40 connected together at their opposite ends by short grooves 41, said threads being engaged by a swivel nut 42 or detent forming part of the trip mecha-- nism referred to above. This swivel nut is suitably mounted in thecollar 43which is adapted for reciprocation upon said shaft. A. trip arm 44 projects laterally from the collar 43 and is provided with a depending trip finger 45 whose function will appear presently. A depending arm 46 (Fig. 2) carries a roller 47 which is positioned between a pair of parallel ide rails 48 to insure proper positionin o the trip finger 45 with respect to the bott e pushers. These guide rails 48 may be bolted to flanges 49 formed on the brackets carrying said bearngs 31.

' Supporting rails or plates 50 are mounted upon the standards 15 and extend lengthwise of and below the reaches of the chain 19 to support the latter in a horizontal plane and provide pathways for rollers 70 included in the bottle pushers.

' Bottles are brought to a position adjacent the feed opening in the leer by a.conveyor 51, or other ware handling mechanism, by which the bottles are deposited in an upright position in one end of an arcuate trough 52 whose delivery end portion 53 (Fig. 3) is longitudinally aligned with the pans of the leer conveyor 11 and terminates in proximity to one side edge of said conveyor.

The bottle pushers 55 or flights, according to the present disclosure, are, identical with those disclosed in the Dayton Patent 1,148,- 474 previously referred to. These pushers are arranged at uniformly spaced points along the chain 19 and include spindles or pivot ins 56 rising from certain of the links 157 o the chain 19. Each cam sleeve 57 is mounted for oscillation upon'its supporting spindle 56, and is formed with a downward extension 58 having a cam face 59 engaging a similarly formed cam face 60 on the cam block 61.

This cam sleeve 57 carries a vertically adjustable arm 62 (Figs. 4, 5 and 6), which supports a pusher plate 63 adapted to contact with one side of a bottle while the latter is being carried into the leer and to its predetermined position upon the leer conveyor. Preferably, this plate is curved somewhat to conform to a greater or less degree, to the shape of the bottles or jars. By providing, 6

for vertical adjustment of the arm 62'- the pusherplate may be positioned at different elevations as required by the type of bottle being produced.

An arm 64 extends laterally from the cam sleeve 57 and is adapted to be. engaged at regular intervals by a cam finger 65 to return the pusher to a position in which it will pick up an article when the pusher again enters the trough 52. This feature will be detailed hereinafter.

The operation of this feeder may be stated as follows: the bottles, or other articles, to be placed upon the leer conveyor 11 are transferred by a suitable ware handling mechanism, such as the conveyor belt 51, to the feeding end F of the arcuatetrough 52.

ISO

at a constant speed, strikes the plate carrying arms 62 at regular intervals during its movement in one direction so that the flights are swung about the vertical spindles 56, thereby allowing the bottles to come to a standstill at predetermined positions upon the leer conveyor. During the return movement of the trip arm to the opposite end of the screw shaft 30, said arm travels in advance of one of the flights and does not interfere with the normal movement of the latter.

Swinging of the plates about the spindles 56 and contact between the cam faces 59' and 60 (Fig. 5) raises said cam sleeve so that the lower face 71 of the extension 58 rests upon the upper face 72 of the cam block 61 rearwardly of the boss 73 on the latter.

Continued movement of the flights 55 after having been removed from contact with the bottles bring said flights to the cam finger at the right of Fig. 3 so that said finger strikes thearm 64 on the cam sleeve 57 and returns the flight to its extended position. This operation is effected by a reverse rotary movement of the cam sleeve 57 which brings the cam faces 59 and 60 together. 3 Thus the flights are again extended to a position for engagement with articles which are to b placed on the leer. y

In order to adapt this feeder for use in delivering different size articles to the leer and to provide means whereby the space relation between articles set up in the leer may be changed, the screw shaft 30 is adapted to be removed and replaced by one in which the pitch of one of the threads is such that the speed of travel of the trip 44 in one direction is changed. It is of course obvious that when the trip moves in the direction of travel of the ware pushing reach of the chain, the speed is necessarily SITCh that the trip moves in advance of one of the flights until it has reached the righthand side of the leer. The thread 4O (Fig. 2B) may be of a pitch to double or otherwise change the speed of travel of the trip in the opposite direction,

so that the articles being placed upon the leer conveyor are spaced a considerable distance apart. By providing a number of these screw shafts 30 having threads 40 of different pitches, the flight triping movement of the trip 44 may be effected at varying rates of speed dependent upon the sizes of the articles being handled and the desired spacing between said articles.

'Also, the flight carrying arms 62 (Fig. 6) r are readily removable and thereby provide means by which the feeder may be used in delivering ware of different sizes and shapes to a leer. In placing rather large articles in the leer, such, for example, as gallon packers, removal of alternate flights from the chain 19 may be essential, while in feeding small ware, a larger number of flights may be used to advantage.

In another form of the invention (Figs. 7, 8 and 9) an arrangement of the feeder is shown for use with a leer having a continuously moving leer conveyor. In this form the leer 80 is provided with transverse openings 81 at its front end to allow positioning of one reach of a continuously moving chain 19 therein, said chain extending across a continuously moving leer conveyor 83 upon which articles such as bottles are placed in transverse rows.

The carrying-in mechanism is substantially identical to that shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive insofar as the chain and flight construction, and screw shaft are concerned. The endless chain 19' is trained over sprockets 18*, the latter arran ed at opposite sides,

is continuously rotated by said motor 24 op-.

erating thru a sprocket chain 33 and sprockets 34, one of which is secured to one end of said shaft.

The trip mechanism includes a sprocket wheel 84 (Fig. 8)"on a vertical shaft 85 .Which depends from an arm 86 which is suitably connected to the screw shaft 30*. This sprocket 84 provides an idler which is arranged sufliciently inwardly from said shaft 30 to form an obtuse angle in the working reach of the chain 19', i. e., the reach extending over the leer conveyor 83 and operating thru the flights to deliver ware thru the leer conveyor. A substantially inverted U: shaped trip 87 is formed on the arm 86 and is adapted to strike the flight carrying arms 62 at regular intervals to release articles such as bottles from the influence of said flights.

This form of feeder is especially adapted for use with a continuously moving leer conveyor. It will be noted by reference to Figs. 7 and 9 that the idler sprocket 84 reciprocates transversely of the length of the leer conveyor 83 and while moving in one direction trips a series of the flights 55 so that the bottles are placed upright upon said conveyor.

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Due to continuous movement of the leer conand iuier start a movement toward the right side of the leer. Due to the forward movement of the leer conveyor 83 and the tendency of that portion of the chain to the left of said trip to move backward toward the other reach of the chain 19 when the trip moves the leer conveyor 83 is traveling with the re- M a trip arm common to all the pushers and operate the arm.

sult that the row of bottles ust set up is out of the path of travel of the incoming group of bottles.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A leer feeder comprising an endless chain, a series of ware pushers arranged at uniformly spaced points along and pivoted to said chain, said pushers normally extending laterally from one side of the chain and adapted to convey bottles along a predetermined path, and mechanical means reciprocating along a path parallel with the chain and operable to swing the pushers one at a time toward the chain to free the bottles from the influence of said pushers.

2. A leer feeder comprising an endless chain, a series of ware pushers arranged at uniformly spaced points along and pivoted to said chain, said pushers normally extending laterally from one side of the chain and adapted to convey bottles along a predetermined path, mechanical means operable to swing the pushers one at a time toward the chain to free the bottles from the influence of said pushers, saidmechanical means comprising a trip arm, and means to reciprocate said arm along a path parallel with the path of movement of said pushers.

3. A leer feeder comprising an endless chain, a series of uniformly spaced ware pushers pivoted to'the chain, cam means individual to the pushers to yieldingly hold the said pushers in a laterally extended position relative to the chain, a trip arm adapted to swing the pushers one at a time about their pivots toward the chain, said arm adapted to reciprocate in a path parallel with said chain whereby the pushers are swung on their pivots at uniformly spaced points, and means to 4. A leer feeder comprising an endless chain, a series of uniformly spaced ware pushers pivoted to the chain, cam means to yieldingly hold the said pushers in'a laterally extended position relative to the chain,

adapted to swing the pushers one at a time about their pivots toward the chain, said arm adapted to reciprocate in a path parallel with said chain whereby the pushers are swung on their pivots at uniformly spaced points, means to operate the arm, and mechanism to return the pushers to their laterally extended positions at a predetermined station.

5. In combination a. horizontally disposed leer conveyor, an endless chain extending across one end of said conveyor, means to across one end of said conveyor, means to move said chain at a constant speed in one direction, vertical spindles rislng from the chain at uniformly spaced points, ware pushers oscillatively mounted on the spindles and normally extending laterally from said chain, automatic mechanical means to swin the pushers one at a time about said spind es to position inproximity to the chain, said last named means includinga trip arm, and mechanism to reciprocate said arm along a path parallel with the direction of travel of said chain.

7 The combination of an endless leer conveyor. an endless chain having one reach extending over one end of said conveyor, article pushing flights pivoted to said chaln, an idler sprocket engaging said one reach and positioning the latter along diagonal lines relative to the lengthof the conveyor, means for reciprocating said sprocket in a path extending across and at right angles to the le th of said conveyor at a point to effect said iagonal positioning of said one reach of the conveyor, and a trip moving with said sprocket for swinging the flights about'their pivots and releasing articles carried into the leer thereby.

8. In combination, a horizontally moving leer conveyor, a cross conveyor extending transversely of and over one end of the leer conveyor, means to-con'stantly move the cross 'conve or in one direction, said cross conveyor inclu ing an endless chain, a series of pushers pivoted to the chain for horizontal swing ing movement, and mechanical means commonto all said pushers adapted to swing the latter at regular time intervals and at points spaced apart transversely of the leer oonveyor.

9. A leer feeder compris' chain, a series of flights pivo an endless to the chain.

means for moving the chain and flights whereby the latter push bottles along a predetermined path, mechanical means movable in a path parallel to the chain for swingin flights one at a time about their pivots, an 5 means for reciprocating said mechanical means along its path of travel.

Signed at Toledo, Ohio, this 3rd day of July, 1928.

ALBERT N. ORAMER. 

